We have all been down to the arcade and played a shooting game of some kind with a fancy light gun. WE have all put countless amounts of coins into the machines just to get one level further. If the answer is yes, then this game may be for you.
The light gun shooting game originated a long while ago, and I'm sure many of you will remember playing operation wolf on the spectrum. The idea was sound, if a little linear. Shoot anything that appears on screen, pick up power ups in the shape of extra lives, weapons etc. In those days the graphics scrolled with you. Ever since 3D gaming became a part of the arcade, this type of game changed into a much scarier and skillful game. Monsters/bad guys would come towards you, from different angles, carrying different weapons.
House of The Dead 2 continues the very popular arcade game series, and attempts to leap frog it to a different level of gaming by introducing horror, action, gore, and non linear levels which are all bought together by a story line hashed up by some bloke at Sega.
The result is an action gaming delight. Its simple, anyone can play, and it really helps the stress levels when you imagine the monsters to be people at work :) The power ups in the game are varied and can really help you to complete the game. The game itself is pretty hard, and challenging. Saying that, though, you don't have a light gun, so it becomes a mouse click affair. No doubt the game is a lot easier with a light gun. So much so, I have actually completed the arcade version with 8 credits, yet I died after stage 4 on the PC version.
For those who have not played the arcade version, the end of level
mean monsters are tricky to defeat, however Sega helpfully tell
you their weak spots. The critics say this game is crap on the PC,
and I can't let that stand. This is an excellent shooter, levels
are now varied with extra bits not available in the arcade version.
Yes, without a light gun it can be difficult, but its the best game
Sega have released for the PC to date. You either love this type
of game or hate it.
levels are now varied with
extra bits not available
in the arcade version"
The Graphics
I have taken a lot of screen shots to let you see how varied and exciting some of the levels can be. As well as wondering around the levels, you get the opportunity to get in speed boats and shoot monsters appearing from under the water trying to climb on the boat. House of the Dead 2 has good graphics, but not great ones. At times they look so outdated that you would think Sega has been using the same gaming engine since Virtua Cop.
However the gaming action is so quick, and graphically intense, you hardly notice low quality textures. The monsters are brilliantly drawn and each one is unique, and each having a different weak spot where you must shoot to cause most damage.
The graphics in House of The Dead 2 are not bloody like the Resident Evil Series, but are strangely gory with the monsters having green blood and bits of their bodies being shot away. The speed and frame rate is kept up on even the slowest of machines, and most 3D cards seem to keep up with the games frantic gameplay.
are not bloody like the
Resident Evil Series, but are strangely gory"
The Sound
The sound is represented by countless screams and grunts of the monsters as you shoot the living hell out of them. The music is quiet in the background, and is really useless considering most of the time all you can hear is the same gun noise going off a million times a second. After a while you forget the sound and concentrate on shooting as many monsters as possible.
The sound is disappointing, in quality and variety, but then most of these games were designed for the pumping heavy bass of the arcade, where the sound is either brilliantly loud and really makes the game, or is drowned out by the other machines.
Overall
Fans of this genre will love it and forgive its weaknesses as it will save them loads of cash at the arcades. The game is limited, but fun, and I can;t help but love the games ability to keep me coming back for the odd quick shoot. Maybe that's the best way to play this game, because It can be completed in a short amount of time. Its not the same without a light gun, and after a while my fingers hurt after giving the mouse a good pounding. I'm also sure this game really does your mouse in also.The sound is crap, the graphics are OK, but I still like the game. Its the best of its type for the PC, and its fast frantic action is the best quick fix of gaming you can get. I just can't get enough.